I’m often asked what my opinion of The Grocery Game program is, and frankly, I haven’t used it personally in about seven years. There are so many free resources for this information these days that I’m left wondering if there is a real value proposition in paying $10 or more ($10 for the first store and $5 for each additional store) every two months for access to coupon match-ups.
But maybe there’s something I’m missing since it’s been so long, so I’m putting the question out to all of my wonderful readers.
Do you use The Grocery Game currently? Do you feel it’s a valuable resource in addition to blogs?
Or did you stop using The Grocery Game when you started reading blogs? Do you feel that you can get all of the information you need for free?
Of course there’s no right or wrong answer, but I’m really looking forward to hearing your opinions, and I know there are many of you out there wondering this same thing.
Renae @ Madame Deals
I used the Grocery Game for the free trial period and that was it. Although I do think it is a valuable resource for newbies, I have found that there is plenty of free information out there. Also, the store lists that I needed were never up when I needed them. Having two-three days to shop just doesn’t work for me.
Wendy
I did it for about a year I think. I liked it because it was easy, but hated waiting so long in the day for the list to come out (Florida). I ended up cancelling it a couple months ago since there is so much free info out there. I think it would be good for people just starting out in couponing.
Brenda
I, too, signed up for GG when I was first introduced to couponing about 6 months ago (what a blessing!) and I have become a little frustrated as well, Ashley! I have had so many errors on my list (I would say 20%) that I sent an email complaining but just got the rote response. Items not on sale, coupons not for the item specified, coupons not found in my inserts, etc. I also complained about the Food Lion list not coming out until Sunday and only leaving 3 days to shop and they said it was because we might miss out on some deals if they don’t take that day’s inserts into account. I checked the next Sunday and NONE of that day’s coupons were used. I may cancel…
Laura
I thought that I would eventually sign up for the GG when I started couponing, but them my mom told me about your wonderful blog. Like others, I hate the thought of paying for something to save money…besides, you have a loyal reader and I am not going anywhere else! Thanks for all of the great things that you do, Tara!!! You make saving money easy and fun.
Jessica
I used the grocery game for 12 weeks. The ad for my stores come out Wednesday. They were not matched up until Sunday. It only left me 2 days to shop. Not practical when you have 4 kids! By that time I found that I had gotten all the great deals for free from the blogs. I would have considered continuing with them if they were not so expensive AND if they would do the match ups on the day the ad came out AND if the deals they did match up actually worked. Most of the time the prices were way off.
Courtney
I have used GG for over 2 years and continue to use it. Yes, there are a lot of free blogs on the subject, but not necessarily for the stores in my area. Also, it’s nice to have it all together and not have to spend time going through several different blogs. The blogs give me information about free samples, extra online coupons, etc, but GG gives me my grocery list. For me, these are different.
winnie
I tried the Grocery game at a discount, & they did not do anything that I could not do myself. I certianly would not pay full price for it. I can look at blogs and find deals, along with looking at the store ads in newspapers or online. Some stores have there print ads on there websites too, like Publix. Now I do use the grocery game for coupons, which are free!
Mary
I used it once a few years ago and when my trial was up, dropped it. I found the blogs and hotcouponworld give me better information since the members are “allowed” to share information on bargains they find. I also just can’t agree with the idea of buying stuff just for the sake of it being free or nearly free, if it is something I don’t and won’t use. I do stockpile, but only items my family uses. I did not really find it worth the money. I often found sales at my stores that were not on the “lists”, afterall, they can’t do individual or area stores, they do by circular area.
Daleene
No way, what a rip off! I get all the info I need reading blogs. 1 being yours! Thank you for that!
Karen
I use the GG and agree with Courtney. The blogs are out there with coupon matches and such, but I often find that they don’t match my local store. That alone makes the GG worth it for me. And seriously? I save WAYYYYY more than I pay in the end. Plus, if you can get others to try it out, you earn free weeks.
debi
i did the trial of the coupon game and cancelled right away…nothing special and i hate to pay to save money (sams is offering a coupon deal where you pay a yearly fee and they give you specials on items you regularly buy..again i hate to pay to save!) your blog and coupon match ups are far better anyway.
Idaho Jill
I have never used it, but I have a friend who does. I find pinchingyourpennies.com to be a great resource for printing out a list of what’s on sale, what coupons to use, etc. (I use it for albertson’s) It also stars items! As in, if it’s a good deal, it gets 4 or 5 stars – so I know what weeks to buy what products. It’s a GREAT site, and it’s FREE. I also love this blog, moneysavingmom, and becentsable -with all of them combined, I know I save as much, or more than I would with the GG – and I get it all for free…
Nina
Nope, why would I pay for something I get for free from your fantastic blog and many others!
Robin
I used it until I got the hang of things. It also started going down hill as far as decrepencies of items prices not being the same and sometimes I would find things on sale w/coupons not even on the list! Too many free sites to pay now days!!
caetie
I agree with everyone else, I used it to ‘teach’ me how the whole couponing things goes. I used it for about 3 months. It isn’t really worth the $25 I was paying when the info is EVERYWHERE on the internet for free nowadays.
Rachael Mercer
I began my major-couponing-saving odyssey last fall when I joined Grocery Game after seeing it on our local Atlanta news…I was stressed when the time came each month to see if the draft would clear. I quit one month after the trial was over b/c I felt I could do the same thing myself. Another couponer mentioned a site where the same information was free, and now we’ve taken it to a new level by using this site, too! Thank you for the FREE information you provide!
CaroleG
I agree, I used GG to learn how to get started, but then just set up a blog roll of my own, and can get everything I need online.
Christie @ Another Deal Another Dollar
I also used the Free Trial Period and cancelled. What good does it do if an ad comes out on Wednesday and you can’t get any information until Sunday? and they want me to pay for this? No thanks. I first came across Southern Savers and found it taught me everything I needed to know on how to save at the drugstore and grocery store. I then came across your site and another and found all of the great deals and freebies you post. There really is no need to pay for something others are willing to share for free. thanks for what you do, it inspired me to help others in my region as well.
Katie
I feel that if I have to pay for information that I can gather myself, then I am not really saving. That is a lot of money that I can use otherwise to find great deals, or buying extra newspapers.
Kellee
I use the Grocery Game; I joined on April 2008! When I first joined I had three stores: Harris Teeter, CVS, and Wags. When my family and I moved to a different city, the neighborhood had a Lowes Foods at the corner so, I added that to the list. Then eventually, I added Bi-Lo’s.
Since I’ve found this blog site (and others), I’ve dropped three stores from my list: CVS, Wags, and Bi-Lo’s. I’ve kept Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods through the GG because to price match at grocery stores can be difficult.
I felt like it was a waste of money to pay when I could look on blog sites for free to see what’s on sale at CVS for the week and which coupons to use! Not only that, but you give the heads up on upcoming sales and which coupons to stock up on!
Eventually, I’ll drop them altogether because after finding Southern Savers and The Coupon Teacher, I can get my grocery list from there!
smurfycoupon
I LOVE the Grocerygame.com The reason I love it and still use it daily/weekly is the “list” takes all the guess work out of figuring out what store has what deal with what coupon. I just log on, print my list and pull my q’s–then off to the store I go. I TRUST the list it has never failed me. I refer people all the time, and for doing so , I continue to get free weeks for myself.
I think I will probably always use the GG to take the guess work out of regular shopping, and continue to use blogs and other forums for great deals that everyone else finds….
HTH
The Leonards
Up until this month, I have used The Grocery Game since January. I had Krogers and Publix and sunday was my typical shopping day because of the penny item at Publix. Although I use other free resources such as Coupon mom, the Grocery Games seemed to list a few other deals I did not find anywhere else. I discontinued because of income loss and I could save $15 every two months. Other than that, it was a great resource to have.
E Simpson
I still use TheGroceryGame every week and have for over a year now. I just still haven’t found one place with free information that’s as well organized and easy to use. I’m an avid reader of the blogs, but blog info is supplemental. If I had more time, I might use various resources to compile my own list, but probably not. My time is more valuable to me.
Heather
I also think GG’s too much money for not enough benefit. It’s great for matchups, but I can get them for free so many other places, it’s not worth it.
M
I love it. I like the great deals I find on sites like this. However, I love the look at the exact sales matched up with available coupons. There are many that I find on the Grocery Game that aren’t listed on here.
Ann
I used GG when I first started couponing. That was when we heard that my husbands job was going to be lost because they shut down his plant. It DID help me. Then I found the free sites and cut my subscription down to one store, Bilo. We live in a small town in SC and the only grocery stores we have are Food Lion, Bilo and IGA. Bilo is the only one of the three who doubles coupons. Most of the free sites don’t offer Bilo for some reason. But then I found Southern Savers who does and there went my GG subscription. It is a good site but I can’t see having to pay for something that I find free elsewhere. I love your site, Coupon Mom and Southern Savers. Thank you all for what you do. I was able to stockpile quite a bit before my husband was laid off in April and although the stockpile is slowly depleting, I don’t know what we would have done had we not had that to fall back on. I still get to the stores at least once a month and use what I find on these sites which makes our grocery bill much cheaper. Thank you again.
leah in NC
I never started using the grocery game. I tried it for the free trial period to see if it would help but I didn’t find much that I couldn’t find on my own for free – at least not enough to justify the price of the subscription.
In Raleigh, NC, there is a newspaper writer for our paper that has a blog on the newspaper website and she lists all the coupons from the paper every Sunday and does weekly matchups – she also has an online pricebook where all users can enter in prices and build up a database of information that is helpful.
Of course, she doesn’t count in other coupons (like all you, and special mail-outs from companies, this information I have to get from other blogs – like yours.)
Tiffany
I used The Grocery Game for about 2 years and loved it. But then I discovered Grocery Smarts for my area and quit TGG. It didn’t make sense for me to be spending money on something that I could get free every week.
I also became frustrated with TGG because they didn’t update my grocery stores (Albertson’s & Smith’s) until Sunday afternoon because they waited until the Sunday coupons came out. So I’d have to wait until Sunday evening to go shopping with my match ups and many times all of the good deals were gone by then since the sales change on Wednesdays.
I’m more than happy with my free resources now! =]
Kimberly
I started off using GG on a trail basis. And before I found out there were other free websites out there, I stop paying the fee. We are looking for bargains right? LOL… I didn’t think it was a bargain at all, that’s why I let it go.
Tammy
I had the worst customer service from them. I made a mistake joining and e-mailed right away and they wouldnt fix the mistake but charged me to resubscribe. I will NEVER use the service now on principle, I will not pay to be treated rudely. I told them that I considered the service poor and they didn’t care so now I get much better deals from online resourses and it is free.